College football recruiting has changed drastically over the last three to four years. The rise of the transfer portal means top programs are now spending more money on retaining current players and landing established talent, almost like professional free agency. High school recruiting is still important for building a complete roster, but it looks very different now. Unlike before, it’s the colleges that have to go above and beyond to be seen or heard, not the other way around.

It used to be all about which school had the best stadium or coach, but now it’s basically professional free agency, even for high schoolers who are yet to touch some college grass.

With National Signing Day already in the books, the On3 sat down with 13 power four conference general managers to get the inside scoop. And boy, they are shocked with the demands and unexpected expectations they faced from recruits, their parents, and even from their agents.

The biggest reason for this shift is probably the ‘professionalization’ of the high school ranks. Almost every top recruit now has an agent, and they expect to be paid from day one as a true freshman. We’re talking real demands, like one SEC general manager mentioned the bare-minimum price for kids to come visit.

“The agents [are] wanting to broker junior day visits. They have official visit expectations,” One SEC GM said to On3. “A fucking flight and hotel rooms for a high school kid for junior day. And then $1,000 for an official visit.”

A round-trip flight and $1,000 for even the three-stars are borderline diabolical. These agents are getting way too comfortable with the current system. It’s intense, with parents definitely looking for paychecks too. Who’d go to such a distance? There are plenty, obviously, more particularly the two.

According to this survey of general managers, USC is the top dog in the 2026 class. They apparently shelled out somewhere between $10 – $12 million to put their class together. And the second big spenders mentioned were Texas Tech with ‘Texas tax.’ According to one SEC GM: “The Texas Tech tax is real. Agents will mention a number from Tech just to drive the price up.”

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It’s a classic case of demand and supply. What’s more fascinating pre-paid money part of it.

To land top talent, schools are finding that giving players significant financial contracts and payments before they even enroll is a must. One staffer from the ACC mentioned that recruits frequently ask for $2,000 to $5,000 in monthly payments. While some general managers deny doing it, everyone acknowledges how common this practice is now. One Big 12 GM put it simply: “You’ve got to pay for them to get here.”

Beyond just monthly cash, recruits are also making some pretty wild amenity requests. They often ask for things like vehicles for themselves and air travel for their families, which many programs aren’t meeting. The demands are getting more creative, too, with one Big Ten GM recalling a top recruit’s parent even asked to be paid on the side on monthly basis.

The requests are getting pretty jaw-dropping. An SEC general manager expressed frustration, saying whoever first caved and gave a free car “deserves to lose their job.” But that hasn’t stopped the asks.

One specific recruit asked for a whole list: a signing bonus, flight stipend, guaranteed jersey number, an insurance policy, vehicle stipend, and even field passes for their agents. It’s a whole new world of demands.

Then again, end of the day, blame the game, not the player. The “reality check” for college football GMs is that the sport has completely gone off the rails, operating more like the shady NFL than an amateur league. The concept of ‘amateurism’ is long gone and buried. Frankly, the managing bodies need to do some kind of damage control before it’s too late, as if it hasn’t already.

Who’s getting paid the most and the dumbest money

When asked about the highest paid, 7 of 13 GMs believes it to be Miami offensive tackle commit Jackson Cantwell of Miami Hurricanes. He is said to make over $2 million. More than some of the proven NFL stars in their rookie contract.

Even Vanderbilt started throwing their money on the table. Back in November-December, they flipped the No. 1 recruit from the class of 2026 in Jared Curtis out of Georgia. They even had Theo Vonn pitch for him. And he’s making around $2 million in year one. Plus, the high school tight ends are getting paid way more than their market values. USC tight end Mark Bowman signed a total deal value potentially worth over $5 million over three years.

For the dumbest use of money. It’s Felix Ojo. The five-star offensive tackle committed to Texas Tech, and his three-year deal is expected to pay around $775k annually. One SEC GM believes the school paid for his potential size and build rather than his actual performance on the field. Other GMs are even more critical. One SEC manager immediately “took us off him” after watching his tape because he “stinks”.

All in all, 12 months from now, we’ll have clarity on who’s worth the money and whose agent finessed the system. It’s going to be one long season for the class of 2026.